1. Field Of The Invention
This invention is in the field of muffling steam exhausted during steam blows at a relatively high temperature and noise level from a power plant.
2. Description Of Related Art
During the start-up of a typical cogeneration power plant, an enormous amount of steam under pressure is released to the environment through steam piping at a very high noise level.
This steam contains solid debris that contaminates the steam system and is of such a quality that it cannot be used efficiently, nor can it be re-cycled. Consequently, it is vented to the atmosphere. Since it contains no toxic materials, the problems associated with venting the steam relate to its heat, pressure, and noise level.
The noise level of this steam can rise to 180 decibels and can be heard several miles away. In the past, this steam was simply vented without any muffling or attempts were made to muffle it with water-spray mufflers. These attempts were not practical because of the expense of the required equipment and the large amount of water that was required. The following references relate to muffling, but do not recognize or address the problems solved by the present invention:
U.S. Pat. No. 1,069,045 discloses an underwater exhaust and muffler for a boat engine, the exhaust and muffler attached to a hull of the boat and having a pipe which extends through the hull. The upper end of a vertical portion of the pipe is connected to a discharge pipe of the engine. Forward movement of the boat forces water into a plurality of passages formed by internal walls in a horizontal portion of the pipe. Engine exhaust encounters the water forced through the pipe. Also, the engine exhaust enters the water through a plurality of exit openings.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,535,660 discloses an exhaust silencer for internal combustion engines which has an outer casing with one or more inlet pipes disposed in a cooling chamber. Exhaust gases enter the casing through the pipes and pass through partition into a spent gas chamber to an outlet. One or more openings in the inlet end of the chamber permit air to enter the cooling chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 977,976 discloses an underwater exhaust and muffler for a boat's internal combustion engine. The exhaust and muffler includes a fitting with a plurality of internal tapering ports, internal baffle plates, and exhaust openings.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,360,429 discloses a silencer for gases in an internal combustion engine's exhaust with an outer shell divided into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber by a partition. The engine exhaust gases enter the inlet chamber through one opening and liquid is conveyed in a controlled-flow fashion into the chamber through another opening. By removing a plug in the outlet chamber, liquid can be drained from the device during inactivity. The exhaust gases flow through a tilted conduit disposed between the two chambers.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,379,277 discloses a wet exhaust system for exhaust gases of marine internal combustion engines which has a sound-absorbing conduit with which a cooling fluid is introduced. The muffler is attached to an engine and is exhausted to the atmosphere at the stern of a boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,009 discloses a water-cooled jet engine noise suppression system and U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,923 discloses an apparatus for muffling and testing jet engine exhausts.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,306,636; 2,328,161; 2,238,816; and 2,516,948 disclose multi-chamber silencers for silencing the exhaust gases of submarines' engines. Water entering the silencers mingles with the engine exhaust gases.
There has long been a need for effective methods and apparatuses for muffling the steam exhausted from a cogeneration power plant. There has long been a need for such methods and apparatuses which can effectively reduce the temperature, pressure, and noise of such exhausts.